Carved in Rock: Short Stories by Musicians [Paperback]

Greg Kihn (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2003

Editor Greg Kihn is a popular west coast disc jockey who has spent 20 years as a professional musician. Along the way he has met thousands of fellow performers who share a gift for storytelling and an aptitude for artistic adventure. Storyteller collects the short fiction from the most talented of them. The anthology includes a startling array of musicians, each with stories on a wide variety of topics. Ray Manzarek of the Doors contributes a retelling of the creation myth in “The Lady of the Valley.” David Byrne ruminates on a genetic future of designer chromosomes, Graham Parker depicts a farcical vision of liberal politics in the hands of illiberal men, and Lydia Lunch presents a dark fable of miscarried sexual justice. Mary Lee Kortes’s “Summer Vacation” has the sparse addictiveness of a song without music and Larry Kirwan imagines what would have happened to the Beatles if they had not become famous. Other contributors include Dee Dee Ramone, Eric Burdon, Richard Hell, Mick Farren, Joan Jett, Johnny Strike, Marc Laidlaw, John Shirley, Suzzy Roche, Robyn Hitchcock, Steve Wynn, Steve Earle, Suzanne Vega, Tom Verlaine, Pete Townsend, and best-selling novelist Kinky Friedman who produces his first short story ever. These stories provide a new window into the lives and creativity of dozens of musicians we already know through their concerts and recordings. Reading the collection is like getting to know them all over again.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rock legends trade their electric guitars for pen and paper in this story collection assembled by musician, deejay and novelist Kihn (Horror Show). The collection features new and previously published literary morsels in a variety of genres from luminaries like Pete Townsend, Robyn Hitchcock and Steve Wynn. An excerpt from Irish-American rocker Larry Kirwan's comic novel, Liverpool Fantasy, stars the Beatles themselves, at the pivotal moment when they fire manager Brian Epstein. Punk pioneer Richard Hell delivers another excerpt, a sexy, gothic yarn about a closeted poet from A Novel in Progress, and Kinks founder Ray Davies details an afternoon shared by a painter and his battered model in the troubling "A Little Bit of Abuse." The shorter entries are just as entertaining. "Vampires make lousy lovers. They got no soul," begins the hypnotic story by Joan Jett, "They Love Rock and Roll," which gives Buffy the Vampire Slayer a run for her money. Michael Gira contributes his tale of cannibalistic obsession with "Why I Ate My Wife." The Doors' keyboardist Ray Manzarek's lush, atmospheric tale of a Napa Valley migrant worker closes out the anthology on an inspirational note. There are riffs to satisfy a wide array of literary tastes in this groovy, idiosyncratic anthology.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Erstwhile rocker Kihn assembles a Hall of Fame's worth of his former comrades-in-axes--er, arms--for a collection of largely well-written riffs--er, stories. Many feature the expected sex, drugs, and rock and roll, but Exene Cervenka's contribution is a little gem on the magical appearance and evaporation of love, and Pamela Des Barres' "The James Dean Diaries" is a fascinating glimpse into the lonely life of an icon. Other highlights are Joan Jett's story of the long-suspected power of rock over the undead, Suzzy Roche's look at the heartbreaking return of a fallen pop heroine to her former high school and estranged mother, and John Shirley and Marc Laidlaw's exceptional creepshow about homeless city kids and their only defense against a child murderer. Kihn himself delivers a polished, atmospheric portrayal of Brian Jones' last days as he visits a transcendental group of musicians in hashish-infused North Africa. Appealing in their breadth and brevity, the stories show another aspect of the talent of some of rock's most famous lyricists. Roberta Johnson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Press (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156025453X
• ISBN-13: 978-1560254539
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,986,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed it a lot less than I thought I would., January 6, 2005

By 

ShooShoo "Sherri" (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carved in Rock: Short Stories by Musicians (Paperback)

Most of these short stories are very dark and strange... Not necessarily a bad thing, depending on your taste and/or mood, I suppose. I thought I would love it overall, being a huge fan of classic rock, and of reading... But for the most part, it seemed the stories were just too "out there"! The one I found most entertaining and interesting was Pearlywhite (about some street kids and their spirit--or perhaps imaginary--guides), by Mark Laidlaw and John Shirley. But this also became increasingly weird, even freaky, as it progressed. The excerpt from Liverpool Fantasy, by Larry Kirwan, was also pretty interesting. It makes one wonder how any given decision can change life's (or lives') course(s). This is definitely a unique collection of stories, and if you enjoy dark and strange, you're sure to enjoy it!

4.0 out of 5 stars Recomended., June 24, 2003

By 

E. Sankey "Swazieb" (Los Banos,Ca. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Carved in Rock: Short Stories by Musicians (Paperback)

Enjoyed some story's over other's,but is overall a very good read! I would highly recommend.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't Quit Your Rock Job, October 25, 2005

By 

doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Carved in Rock: Short Stories by Musicians (Paperback)

A collection of short stories written by musicians seems like a great idea in concept, but things haven't turned out so well after the words hit the page. The best submissions here are, unsurprisingly, from those musicians who also have distinguished and credible writing careers– most notably Jim Carroll, Greg Kihn (also the editor here), Richard Hell, and Mick Farren. There are also a few other rockers here who can really write and may have an acclaimed side career in the making, including Wayne Kramer, Pete Townshend, and Steve Earle. But otherwise, the majority of the stories here feel like indulgences from bored musicians experimenting with a writing hobby, and who should probably stick to the music. None of the stories are especially unlikable (except maybe the dippy pseudo-religious yawner from Ray Manzarek), but you won’t exactly find any of them mindblowing either, and that gives this book a pretty indifferent impression overall. But there are still a couple of pleasant surprises from the hobbyists – my favorite being the fun and unselfconscious little story from Joan Jett, who assures us that not even vampires can defeat the spirit of rock n' roll. More tales like that would have made this book a more enjoyable collection of rockin' literature. [~doomsdayer520~]